A Winter Affair

by Minna Howard

  Eloise felt even more crushed. Was Lawrence going round stressing about her ability to cook for his guests?

  She said, ‘They’re all right, spend most of the time glued to their laptops.’ She paused as she joined the road and then, at Saskia’s instruction, turned down the next road towards Saskia’s chalet. Not knowing where her chalet was she went slowly in case she overshot it.

  ‘There, that one, park next to the Mercedes.’ She stayed silent while Eloise carefully parked and turned off the engine. ‘There’s something you’re not telling me.’ Saskia turned to face her.

  Eloise sighed, ‘It’s just I saw Harvey.’

  ‘What, here? Did you know he was out here?’

  ‘No. I saw him a few days ago, where we were just now, and then I heard his voice when I was waiting to see Pascal, he’d dropped some woman there, but he didn’t come in.’

  ‘Oh, love,’ I’m sorry,’ Saskia said. ‘What a bummer.’

  ‘I thought he’d be gone by now, go back for Christmas, but at lunchtime I saw him in the gondola. It was crowded, but he saw me and called out, and there I was, stuck high in the sky with him, but what was worse, when we arrived at the top Aurelia was there and she knows him too.’

  ‘Oh, God, well she would, wouldn’t she?’

  ‘She looked… well she seemed amazed that someone like him would have married me.’ Her mouth wobbled and she dashed the tears away.

  Saskia leant over and hugged her. ‘Don’t take any notice of what that bitch says. She can’t bear anyone else having a boyfriend or a husband – even when Malcolm was around she flirted with other men. She’s even tried to snatch poor Quinn, only he’s so vague he didn’t notice.’ She laughed, then added seriously, ‘But you don’t think they are together, do you?’

  ‘I don’t know. The first time I saw him he was with a woman in a shocking pink ski suit, and it was her he dropped off as Pascal’s, but I didn’t see her face. He’s not alone that’s for sure, he left me for some bosomy sexpot – it could have been the pink woman, I don’t know.’ She did wonder if there was anything intimate between Harvey and Aurelia, but then she had always wondered who among their female friends and acquaintances he was involved with, and now they were divorced it should no longer be her concern.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Eloise. Let’s go in and drown your sorrows.’ Saskia opened the jeep door. ‘So I suppose he’s here for Christmas?’

  ‘He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. He’s with friends somewhere by the old church.’ She got out of the jeep and followed Saskia down a snowy path to a small chalet overlooking the valley. Saskia unlocked the door and they went inside.

  ‘I suppose you’ll be stuck in Jacaranda cooking for your guests, but Quinn likes to give a party on Boxing Day, drinks around six, everyone’s invited, but not Harvey of course, nor Aurelia, though she often just appears. I expect Lawrence and Theo will come and whichever of your guests want to.’ Saskia led the way to the main room with its stunning view right down the valley. ‘I hope you’ll be able to make it.’

  ‘Sounds great but I don’t know what’s happening that day, or any day really.’ Eloise sank down into a large comfortable chair, watching the smoky dusk creeping up the valley and the lights from the chalets below glowing through it.

  ‘Lawrence knows about it, so we’ll see.’ Saskia poured her a glass of wine and sat down on the sofa near her and lifted her own glass in a toast, ‘To you, and may you find love again with a better man than Harvey.’

  Eloise took a sip, she felt better now, having shared the load of her misery with Saskia. ‘So where are your children?’ she asked, wanting to steer the conversation away from herself.

  ‘They are with Toby and his parents,’ Saskia said. ‘They come out here for New Year. It works quite well: Quinn’s family one year, mine the next.’

  ‘How many children does Quinn have?’

  ‘Two sons, one lives in the States. He’s a grandfather of two adorable girls,’ she giggled, ‘and I’m a step-granny, can you believe it?’

  ‘I suppose once one’s children reach puberty any one of us could be a grandparent,’ Eloise said, hoping her two would wait awhile before having babies. She wanted them to have a bit of a life first before they embarked on marriage and parenthood, though today everything was different and they might not marry and have children at all.

  ‘Well I hope mine won’t just yet, get into their careers first,’ Saskia said, echoing Eloise’s thoughts. ‘Toby had another baby with his new wife.’ A shaft of pain crossed her face. ‘I shouldn’t mind, she wanted a child of her own after all, and I was the one who left him first, but I do mind, I’m dead jealous, though I know I’ve no right to be, and it’s not that I want another baby. Silly isn’t it?’

  ‘I would be jealous too.’ Eloise was bitten by the same anxiety, though she didn’t think Harvey wanted any more children as he’d always said twins, one of each, was perfect. But then one of his woman friends, this bright pink-clothed ski bunny might want one before her fertility clock ran out.

  ‘So have you got all your Christmas stuff in?’ Saskia asked. ‘Do the guests eat normal food or are they those strange leaves and grains people, always on some health kick?’

  Eloise laughed. ‘It might be easier if they were. Only Debra, the matriarch, says she can’t eat sugar or fat, but she eats enough cake and pudding.’

  ‘She’s only human, like the rest of us, can’t resist a few goodies. So, I suppose this Christmas is your first without Harvey or the twins, perhaps it’s a good thing you’ll be so busy here, somewhere different,’ Saskia said with sympathy.

  ‘I’m trying not to think of it,’ Eloise admitted. ‘I loved Harvey, but I never really trusted him,’ she confided now. ‘At first it was all passion, that feeling of overpowering love… or probably lust,’ she smiled.

  ‘Oh yes, lust but love too,’ Saskia said, ‘and we were young and thought we were different to those dreary middle-aged couples who hardly even spoke to each other any more, and that for us it would last forever.’

  ‘To be honest I never thought that… I never felt sure of him, though in the beginning he was so loving, and then we had the twins and he loved them and I told myself not to be so foolish and I was ashamed that I didn’t really trust him.’

  ‘I understand how you might feel like that about him,’ Saskia said. ‘Unlike many English men, certainly like Toby, Harvey felt comfortable with women, almost understood them, and so I suppose he wanted as many of them as he could, and they were drawn to him, but I think he truly loved you,’ she finished, leaning over and squeezing Eloise’s arm.

  ‘Anyway, it’s finished now and I’m here and I’m going to enjoy it, as long as Lawrence doesn’t freak out over something I’ve done or haven’t done.’ Eloise smiled, feeling better now. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Saskia,’ she said warmly. ‘I don’t know how I would have coped without you.’

  ‘You would have been fine, you’re a coper,’ Saskia held up her glass ‘and let’s drink to your new, independent life.’

  Twenty

  As soon as she got back to Jacaranda, Eloise went to the kitchen to check on her preparations for the dinner. The joint of lamb had been marinating all day, sealed in a plastic bag with honey, fresh lime and herbs. She took it out of the bag and put it in the oven to roast, adding a little more of the marinade. The dark red fruit compote, which she’d cooked earlier, was now at room temperature and the brandy snaps made. She had just the starter to do and some canapés to have with the drinks and they wouldn’t take long.

  Theo came in carrying the tea tray from the living room. He put it down before cutting himself a huge slice of cake, saying he was going out but had to leave Bert here downstairs. ‘Away from that dog-hater woman,’ he added with contempt.

  ‘I’ll keep an eye on him,’ Eloise said, as he left, promising to be back soon.

  A few minutes later Lawrence came in to the kitchen, he stood by the door, facing her, watching her carefully as
if he was about to say something important. Her stomach cramped and she turned away from him, pretending to concentrate on preparing the pudding, while she struggled to remain calm. He was going to tell her these people had complained about her cooking. It didn’t surprise her, she guessed they were the sort who were always finding something to complain about.

  ‘I’d like a word…’ he began and she turned to face him, determined not to be cowed by him.

  ‘Sure… what’s up?’

  ‘I… I didn’t realize your ex-husband is out here.’

  ‘Oh I…’ She was caught off guard; this was the last thing she’d expected him to say.

  ‘Aurelia told me.’

  ‘I suppose she would,’ she sighed, wondering if she’d only told him to make him think she’d be so traumatized at seeing him here, she’d be unable to cook. She said firmly, ‘I didn’t know he was coming here and it’s been something of a shock. I saw him in the crowd the day I hurt my shoulder and I thought he’d have gone home by now. But then today I saw him in the gondola and later with Aurelia.’ She busied herself with chopping the vegetables for the crudités, thinking of Aurelia as she did so. Had they seduced each other? she wondered grimly. They were both attractive people, but something told her that Harvey, who had brought that pink clad woman with him, would not be terribly tempted by such a forceful woman as Aurelia.

  ‘I knew you were divorced, Desmond told me, and you have children. You must miss them and I suspect this Christmas will be hard for you, even worse with your ex hanging about. I’m so sorry Eloise, if there’s anything I can do.’

  She stopped her chopping and regarded him. There was a warmth about his manner as if he cared for her feelings. ‘It will be difficult, but because I’m here, in a completely different place, it won’t be so bad. My children, Kit and Lizzie, are on their gap year. It was arranged before we got divorced, in fact I think it freaked Harvey – his children being grown-up and able to go off across the world on their own – so he upped and left before they did.’ She hoped she sounded cool about it though it still hurt. ‘I’ll try and telephone them on Christmas Day, I don’t know what the signals will be like,’ she said, going back to her chopping to hide the sudden tears that rose in her.

  ‘Of course, use the landline, just get the time right.’ He smiled, ‘Where are they?’

  She swallowed, said, ‘Not sure, they were in Tibet but they could have moved on to China.’ It was kind of Lawrence to consider her and she said so.

  ‘I’ve been so focused on finding a new chef and stressing about these guests, I didn’t think about your life and concerns, and I’m sorry, Eloise,’ he said. ‘Is your… husband, ex-husband…’ he floundered, biting his lip, and even though she didn’t feel comfortable that the conversation was going back to Harvey, she waited for him to say his piece while she arranged the chopped vegetables on the dish. ‘Is he in the travel business, holiday lets, things like that?’

  She stared at him in dismay. Was he going to say he’d invited Harvey here, wanted him to help rent out Jacaranda, or worse, he was in cahoots with Aurelia and wanted to help bring about her changes to appeal to more clients? Her warm feelings towards Lawrence’s concern for her cooled.

  ‘Yes he is… but… not really this sort of thing.’ She gestured round the room. ‘He finds beach resorts, really, sea and sun. He gets hotels and rented accommodation together for holidays and wedding venues, things like that, for the travel firm he works for. It’s… quite upmarket, advertises in the top newspapers and magazines.’

  ‘So he doesn’t do skiing holidays?’ He regarded her intently.

  ‘I don’t think so, though he might include those now.’ He’d have told her if he was out here scouting for business, wouldn’t he?

  Saskia had warned her that Aurelia wanted to get her hands on Jacaranda and now she’d met Harvey and found out he was in the travel business, finding holiday venues, would she try and use him to persuade Lawrence to let the agency he worked for manage Jacaranda, and was Lawrence now tentatively trying to suss her out to see if it would work?

  ‘Whatever the reason’s he’s here,’ she added firmly, ‘I’m sure it’s not to look for holiday places. I don’t know what Aurelia told you, but he knows Verbier and he’s probably here to ski.’ With a pang, she thought of the pink-clothed woman who’d almost knocked her flat, Skiing wasn’t his only sport either.

  A look almost of relief crossed Lawrence’s face. ‘That’s fine then. Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. Verbier is a very popular place, so you’re right, it’s probably just one of those things. But, all the same,’ he touched her arm, ‘it can’t be easy for you.’

  They could hear the others coming downstairs and going into the living room and Lawrence, with a quick smile, left to join them.

  She finished preparing the canapés to go with the drinks and because Vera was coming in a bit later this evening she took them down to the living room herself. Ken, as usual, keeping one eye on his wife, leered in her direction; she ignored him, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her, glad to be able to escape to the solace of the kitchen.

  A mournful howling stopped her in her tracks. It was coming from Bert shut downstairs. Poor little dog, she felt sorry for him, perhaps he needed to go out, she’d pop down and reassure him. Theo had found him abandoned in the village and adopted him. Perhaps he felt insecure, wondering if he’d been abandoned again.

  She had a few minutes before she had to take out the lamb and Lawrence was occupied with the guests in the living room. She went downstairs and carefully opened the door to the main room where Bert was lying in a cosy corner. She spoke softly to him, as she went in, so as not to scare him.

  Bert stopped his howling at once, but before she could catch him he made a bolt to the open door, ducked past her and ran upstairs with her in hot pursuit, hissing, ‘Bert, stop, come here.’

  He ran into the kitchen, sniffing around for morsels on the floor. Following him in there, she shut the kitchen door and set about catching him, but the timer on the cooker went off, and not wanting the lamb to overcook, she opened the oven quickly to inspect the joint.

  She’d no idea how it happened but she tripped and the leg of lamb, glistening under its marinade coat, fell to the floor. In a second Bert seized it by the shank – the joint was almost bigger than he was but he dragged his prize with him under the table by the window.

  ‘Oh no, Bert, give it back.’ Horrified, Eloise went down on the floor and crawled half under the table to retrieve it.

  At that moment the door opened and Lawrence came into the kitchen where he was faced with Eloise’s backside halfway under the table. ‘What the devil are you doing…’ he started, while Bert, annoyed at being disturbed in his feast, growled.

  ‘Why is Bert in here, Eloise?’ His voice was cold. ‘He was shut in downstairs and you know he’s not allowed anywhere near the kitchen.’ He moved closer and bent down, ‘And what is that in his mouth?’

  ‘The dinner,’ Eloise said, she knew she couldn’t hide it. This was the end for her; Lawrence had caught them both red-handed.

  With a supreme effort, she managed to get hold of Bert and snatched the joint from him, though it was hot. She backed out from under the table, bottom first, and stood up. Juggling the joint in her hands, she crossed the kitchen and dropped it back in its dish and inspected it.

  ‘We can’t eat that.’ Lawrence was horrified.

  ‘We’re minutes away from serving dinner and the butcher will be closed, and even if he wasn’t, it would take ages to buy something and cook it, it’s this or ham sandwiches,’ she said firmly.

  She inspected the joint closely. There was a small bit chewed off by the bone and much of the sauce was on the floor and on her hands and down her apron, but fortunately she had some of the sauce left over, so if she wiped the joint clean, added more sauce and put it back in the hot oven, no one but her and Lawrence would know what had happened, and any germs Bert or the floor – which was cleaned
daily – might have left would be killed by the heat in the oven.

  Lawrence stared at her in fury. ‘How did he get out?’ he said. ‘I heard Theo shut him in, he knows the rules.’

  She faced him, she might as well tell the truth. Things could not get much worse. ‘I let him out, I didn’t mean to, but I heard him howling and he sounded so sad I went to see him, but he escaped.’

  ‘And now he’s ruined the dinner. Everyone’s very hungry.’ He glared at her, snatching his mobile from his pocket. ‘I don’t know if Aurelia could bring something, at such short notice.’ He sighed. ‘Yet another expense,’ he added tartly.

  She imagined Aurelia’s glee if she had to come rushing round to the rescue with boxes of her dratted delights. Talk of making a meal of it.

  ‘This joint will be fine,’ she said. ‘I’ll wipe it down, add more sauce, then put it back in the oven to kill any germs. Bert only chewed the bit at the end, and the floor’s clean, Vera saw to that.’

  ‘We can’t do that,’ Lawrence exclaimed in horror.

  ‘Only you and I know about it.’ She regarded him defiantly. ‘All sorts of dreadful things go on in some kitchens in the top restaurants.’

  ‘But not here, what if they are poisoned and they become ill… I can’t believe this of you, Eloise.’ His face was stricken; he raked his hair in desperation, his other hand still holding his mobile.

  ‘Listen, Lawrence, it’s not as if Bert’s licked the whole joint. It was too hot and he’s only chewed the end and I’ve cut that off. I’d eat it myself.’ She felt impatient with him now, any moment one of the guests might appear asking where their dinner was and, of course, if they found out, there would be hell to pay, though she didn’t believe the meat would harm them.

  Bert was happily licking up the sauce from the floor while keeping a weather eye on Lawrence. They heard footsteps coming down the passage and threw each other frantic looks. Lawrence snatched up Bert and pushed him out in the cold among the dustbins.